5 tips to improve your e-commerce product photography

Are you setting up an e-commerce website? If so, equally important as the design and build of your website is your product photography. The website might look and function beautifully but people still won’t buy if your products look like a dog’s dinner.

It is so tempting to cut corners with photography - and that’s perfectly understandable. A new business has no shortage of expenses to consider and photography is something we can all at least have a stab at.

If you can possibly find room in your budget, we would always recommend getting a professional photographer to take some product shots for you - the difference in quality is always there to see. If that’s totally out of the question, follow these tips to make your product photos look as professional as possible.

1. Get the light right

The light in which you take your photos can make a big difference to the finished look. Most products look much better when shown in natural light - ideally a soft light that is evenly distributed across your product.

2. It'll be alright on the white

While shots of your product in use or in context are great, it is worth taking some on a white background. Using a curved piece of white paper, card or fabric as your background means there will be no horizon and no distractions, making your product the undisputed centre of attention.

3. Watch your shadows

Having gone to the effort of removing distractions from the background, the last thing you want is for your product’s own shadow to steal the show. Try using a flash diffuser (achievable on a budget by placing a white plastic bag over your flash) to ensure the light source - in this case your flash - is larger than your product. The light will be distributed more evenly, which will result in smaller, softer shadows.

4. More is more

Usually we would subscribe to a policy of less is more when it comes to your website’s look. Photos are the exception to the rule. It is better to have too many photos than too few. The people you’re selling to may not have seen your product in the flesh, so give them as many angles and options as possible to get a feel for what they’re buying.

5. Use the macro function

The macro function (usually displayed as a flower icon on most cameras) will change the settings on your camera to allow it to capture extreme close-ups. This mode is ideal for capturing intricate details on your product. Just remember to switch it off again when you’ve finished doing close-ups.